Circular-knitting machine



Jah. 7, 1 30. RLGT JENNINGS 1 1,742,255

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 28. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 8' g INVENTOR BY 6 z ATTORNEY Jan. 7; 1930. G, JENNI S 1,742,255

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qmcumn KNITTING mania:

Filed Oct, '28., 1926 1 Sheets-Sheet 2 I ll l lll If INVENTOIR ATTORNEY Jan. 7,

Filed Oct. 28. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

.w a w 5 l I l I ll m- I T N I E v B m I 1 a 6 6 4 V 0 0 lb B M O I M 0 l 0 n H c a u m a 4 llllll H 6 5 0 am ll 0 4 1| H 5 Q m H H 5 a m. H 5 O 6 0 7 1 m m a M EM 5 0 WW I 6 H w fl flwfi 1 a 6 z a l ATTORNEY Jan. 7, 1930. h. 6-. JENNINGS CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 28. 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 -NN wk ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 7, 1930 J UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE ROBERT GOULD JENNINGS, OF ELMIRA,

NEW Yonx, ASSIGNOR TO THE 1;. a. mNNrNes YARN CLEANING MACHINE CO. INC., OF ELMIRA, NEW YORK, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINE Application flled October 28, 1926. Serial No. 144,872.

This invention relates to improvements in textile machinery, and more particularly in some of its details it relates to improvements in circular and other knitting machines .whereby an improved and unique fabric may be produced. Furthermore, the invention relates to improvements in methods of making textile fabrics.

It is a general object of theinvention to provide a machine of the class mentioned of improved construction and arrangement, and which is capable of producing a fabric having improved and advantageous features, includmg unique decorative eflects and improvements in strength and wearing qualities.

A further object is to provide an improved machine of the class'mentioned which, while being simple and inexpensivein construction' and conforming to standard practice in the art, 1s capable of making an improved textile fabric having unique decorative patterns thereon.

. Another object of the invention is to pro vide a machine of the class mentioned having an improved, simple and inexpensive mechanism for forming knit fabrics with stripes running longitudinally thereof so as to pro- 'vide not only; decorative effects, but to strengthen the fabric and i qualities.

Still another object is to provide a simple and practical arrangement in machine of the prove its wearing class mentioned for applying longitudinal stripes or similar decorative effects to knittedfabrics during the process of formation thereof. v

Another object is to provide, machine of the class mentioned, an improved and simple arrangement for leading one or a plurality of threads into position to be entwined with the fabric'thread as formed into stitches by the ma'chineneedles.

Another object is to provide an improved arrangement for leading an additional or embroidery thread into position to be entwined with the fabric thread during formation of the fabric, and for avoiding interference by said embroidery thread with the operation of the regular knitting elements of the machine.

in knitting A further object of the invention is to provide an improved method of making a textile fabric which is simple in nature and provides 'a fabric of superior strength and wearing qualities, also imparting a unique decorative effect. Other objects will be in part pointed out in the following detailed description of certain illustrative but preferred embodiments of the invention, and will be in part obvious in connection therewith.

The invention accordingly comprises the several steps and the relation andorder of one or moreof such steps with respect to each of the others and the apparatus embodying features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which are adapted'to effect such steps, all as exemplified in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a more complete understanding of the Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation looking toward the right side of Fig. 1.

Fig. '3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing details of operative parts of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the parts in a different position.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view through the needle cylinder showing the arrangement for guiding the decorative or embroidery threads into operative position.

Fig. 6 is an elevation of a fragment of knit fabric as formed by the improved machine, the threads being shown as enlarged and in order to clearly disclose the stitch con struction and the intertwining of the decorative thread.

Fig. 7 is a fragment of the fabrlc constructed with the improved machine and pulled apart longitudinally and transversely showing one form of the general improved decorative effect. a

Fig. 8 is an enlarged elevational view similar to that of Fig. 2, but showing a modified form of the improved mechanism.

Fig. 9 is a partially diagrammatic view of a modified form cam for varying the decorative effect applied to the knit fabric.

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view showing a development of the cam of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic elevation of a fragment of fabric similar to that of Fig. 7 but showing generally the decorative effect of the balloon stitch, and

Fi 12 is a view similar to that of Fig. 11,

. but s owing a variation of the balloon stitch as produced by the form of cam shown in Fi s. 9 and 10.

fteferring to the drawing for a complete detailed disclosure of the embodiments of the invention there shown, and first to the em bodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, a frame member 15 of any preferred known construction may be provided, and mounted thereon at the upper part thereof is a horizontal supporting or base plate 16 carrying the needle cylinder 17 in up r ght stationary position thereon. A vertical cam cylinder 18 surrounds the lower end of the stationary needle cylinder 17, being rotatably mounted in suitable hearings in the base plate 16 and connected for rotation in a horizontal plane by a driving shaft 19 through a pinion 20 and a circular rac k21 connected to the underside of the cam cylinder. Supporting standards 22 are rigidly attached to the cam cylinder 18 and carry a supporting spider or arch 23 which, in turn, carries a surmounting bracket support 24 for the cops 25 of thread or yarn used for kn tting the fabric. The rotary central splndle 26 extends vertically downfrom the arch 23 and is attached through said arch for unitary rotation with the cam cylinder 18. A spindle'extension 27 rises above the bracket 24 carrying a guide bar 28 for guiding the thread A from the cops into position for co operation with the knitting mechanism. The eripheral surface of the needle cylinder 17 is provided with a series of vertically disposed circumferentially spaced grooves for guiding and supporting'in vertical position, a series of reciprocatory cylinder needles 29, sald serles of needles extending entirely around the needle cylinder.

A disk 30 formin a horizontal needle dial surmounts the nee e cylinder 17, being an ranged at right angles to the central spindle 26. This needle dial provides an u per supporting surface with a series of ra ially disosed grooves 31 for guiding and supporting the dial needles 32 for longitudinal reciprocatory movement, there being as many dial needles as cylinder needles, and the cylinder needles and dial needles being arranged rotary up device in staggered position relatively -to each other. A circular plate 33 secured to the rotary spindle 26 for rotation therewith, and is provided on its lower face with a cam to provide a dial cam plate for reciprocating the dial needles Thread guide plates 34 are attached to the dial cam plate 33 and provided with apertures through which the thread A passes and is delivered thereby into proper position for cooperation with the needles. As understood by those skilled in the art, the number of thread guide plates 34 may vary and the cam cylinder and dial structed to effect reciprocatory movement of the cylinder dial needles in proper sequence and in proper order to loop the thread and thus form stitches. For illustrative purposes a tubular threadmachine of the circular type is shown, which knits a tubular ribbed fabric.

For the purpose of taking up the fabric as knit and for maintaining a constant and substantially uniform tension thereon, as desirable in this form of knitting machine, a takeis provided as shown in Fig. 1. This take-up device may be of any preferred known form, that shown being of the type described in Patent No. 421,147, issued Februar 11,1890, and including a pair of gripping ro ls for gripping the tubular knit fabric which is shown at B in the drawing. These pp parallel rotary shafts 35 mounted upon a swinging frame 36 pivotally mounted at 37 upon a bracket 38 carried by the machine so as to be swingable in a vertical plane. The rolls are driven through a train 0 gearing 39 upon the swinging frame 36 by a belt 40 engaging a pulley 41 connected with the gear 19. A weight 43 is carried by the swinging frame so as to exert the desired downward pull upon the tubular fabric B. As fully explained in the above mentioned patent, this take-up arrangement is operated by the belt 40 to actuate the gripping rolls which run upwardl on the fabric tube B to swing the swinging frame 36 upwardly on its pivot, thus raising the pulley 41 until the belt 40 is sufficiently loosened to cause slipping thereof, thus terminating operation of the rolls. The rolls are started again as the knitting progresses, the swinging frame then moving downwardly with the fabric tube until belt tension is again increased to a sufiicient degree to cause operation of the gripping rolls. Tension upon the tubular fabric is thus maintained substantially constant.

The construction above referred to will be understood by those skilled in the art without further detailed disclosure, since it is standard in the art of knitting and is disclosed, for-example, in Patent 421,147, mentioned above. This construction forms a part is rigidly cam plate are con-.

rolls are mounted upon adjacent train and with a pulley 42 on the drive shaft of the present invention only in combination with other elements and arrangements as described with particularity and in detail below.

It will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the' machine described is opguided into correct position to be engaged thereby by means of the thread guide plates 34. In the form of machine shown the needles are of the latch type; that is, each needle is provided with a latch member pivoted thereto so as to swing into position for co-operation' with the hooked end of the needle to form a closed eye, or to swing away from said hooked end to open the eye. It will also be understood that the needles are operated in proper sequence with reference to each other, and to movement of the thread-guiding plates 34, to form the thread into longitudinal rows of interlooping stitches to form the wales of the fabric, and transverse rows interlooping stiches to form the stitch courses of the fabric.

As best shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, a supporting and guiding plate or bracket 44. is supported upon the outside of the needle cylinder 17 by means of supporting studs 45 secured to the outer surface of the cylinder and lying between adjacent cylinder needles. This supportingbracket is positioned outside'of the cylinder needles and is curved concentrically with the cylinder surface, carrying a block 46 mounted for sliding movement along the length of the bracket. For the purpose of slidably supporting the block 46, it may be provided on its inner face with transverse upper and lower grooves adapted to fit respectively over the upper and lower edges of the bracket plate 44, whereby the block may be slid into operative position over either end of the bracket plate. The block 46 carries one.

or'more inwardly extending thread-guidin members which are shown in the form 0 tubes or nozzles 47 having longitudinal apertures 47 extending therethrough for conducting the threads into position, and positionedwith their inner grids in proximity to the cylinder needles. 'l -lil i'ree of these thread-guiding nozzles are/shown" in the drawingpositioned side by side transversely of the supporting block 46, .but it will be understood that a greater or lesser number of nozzles may be guide the thread closely into osition with reference to the stitches being ormed by the needles, and to support suchthreads in position to insure entwmemen-t with the stitches as the latter are being formed; The nozzles are vertically positioned slightly above the upper ends of the cylinder needles when-the latter are in their lowermost position, so that lateral movement of the nozzles may be efi'ected when said needles are lowered without being obstructed by said needles.

A spring 48 is mounted upon a rod .49 slidably mounted in an aperture in a stud 50 attached to the face ofthebracket plate 4.4. The end of this rod is threaded or otherwise secured to the adjacent face of the supporting block 46, and the spring 48 is stressed under compression between the stud 50 and the block 46 so as to-urge the latter into its right-hand operative position. The screw rod 49 is thus adjustable in length and the head of the rod contacts with the stud 50 to adjustably limit the movement of the nozzle block to the 1 right, whereby said block may be adjusted to correctly position it in one extreme position.

An operating bell crank lever 51 is pivotally connected at its angle to the bracket late 44, and is positioned on the opposite si e of thenozzle block from the spring 48. The lever arm 52 of the bell crank lever is provided with a contact foot for engagement with the adjacent face of the nozzle block and a stop 53 is mounted upon the plate 44 in position to limit movement of the lever arm 52 in a direction away from the nozzle blockso as to maintain the bell crank lever in correct position for cooperation with its operating cam. To the lever arm 54 of the bell crank lever is pivoted an-adjustable bar '55 carrying at its outer end an operating pin or roller 56, and at its inner end an adjusting screw 57 arranged to contact with the arm 54 so as to adjust the bar 55 on its pivot. 7 By this means the movement of the nozzles and nozzle block to the left occasioned by action of the bell crank lever, may beadjusted.

A cam plate 58 is mounted upon the cam cylinder 18 by meansof standards 58, and is positioned outside of the outer surfaceof the needle cylinder 17 and concentrically curved therewith. This cam plate is provided at this forward end with a downwardly inclined cam surface 59 positioned to encounter the operating roller 56 of the bell crank lever as the cam plate 58 rotates with the cam cylinder in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figs. 3 and 4. ince the bracket plate 44 is stationary, this action results in moving the bell crank lever on its pivot in such a manner as to slide the nozzle block 46 tothe left along the bracket 44, the extent of this movement reference to the needles when the nozzles are to the left.

In the form of machine shown in Figs. 1 to 5 the cam bar 58 extends for about 180 degrees of the circumference of the cam cyliner and of the needle cylinder, this being about the same as the angular distance between the thread-guide plates 34 from center to center thereof. It will be seen, therefore, that the thread-guiding nozzles 47 remain at the right for approximately one-half revolution of the cam cylinder and at the left for the remainder of the revolution.

A bracket 60 is suitably supported on the machine and carries one ,or, a plurality of spools 61 for supplying the additional or embroidery thread G. As shown in Fig. 5, this thread C is carried upwardly Within the cam 7 cylinder 18- and the needle cylinder 17 and ric having improved strength and wearing qualities and improved decorative effects, will now be understood by those skilled in the art, and for clearness and emphasis may be described as follows:

i the nozzles 47 and being attached in any de- The machine is threaded in the usual man ner, with the usual knitting threads A, and

the additional threads C are positioned as above described and shown in the drawing, the ends thereof emerging from the ends of sired manner to the fabric being formed. As the fabric is formed by operation of the machine, the threads C are fedforwardly by the downward movement of the tubular fabric B as formed. c When the right-hand nozzle .47 is p0sitioned at the right, that is, when the operating bell crank lever 51 is out of engagement with thecam 58 a shown in Fig. 3, the corresponding thread C is positioned just at the right of the path of longitudinal reciprocation of the adjustment cylinder needle designated in Fig. 3 as 29. Since the thread C is held in this position for one-half revolution of the cam cylinder 18, the cylinder needles will be operated to loop the thread A to form a stitch. Hence a stitch will be formed while the nozzle remains in its right-hand position. It will be understood that in machines of this type the needles are'operat-ed to form a stitch tioned at the left. When the inclined part 5;) of the cam 58 encounters the roller 56,

the nozzle block is shifted to the left, as shown in Fig. 4, carrying the thread C'of the righthand nozzle to the left of the path of the needle 29 so that'said needle moves upwardly in its path at the right of the thread C and the second stitch in the same wale is formed. It being remembered that the thread C is attached to the fabric, and that shifting of the nozzle block occurs in either direction when the cylinder needles are in their lowermost position, it will be seen that the movement of the nozzle will carry the thread C transversely across the path of the needle and transversely over the threads of the stitch which is at that moment looped through the -hooked end of the needle. Then when the needle moves upwardly, it passes at the opposite side of the thread C from that of its next preceding movement. The next succeeding stitch loop is then formed and looped through that last mentioned as the needle,passes down again to itslowermost position. The nozzle shifts again at this point carrying the thread C back across the partially formed stitch the same as before but in the opposite direction. This operation of interlooping or entwining the thread C with the stitches of a wale will be made clearer upon reference to the magnified view of the fabric shown in Fig. 6.

As each stitch is formed the fabric B is nozzles are positioned similarly to the right nozzle with reference to the respective adjacent cylinder needles, and the effect is the same as described with reference to said right nozzle. The result is that each of the threads C is entwined transversely back and forth in reverse loops through the longitudinal series of stitches forming a wale of the fabric, the effect of which is to provide a stripe running longitudinally of the fabric, as well as to reinforce and strengthen the fabric. The thread 0. may be of a color to contrast with that of the regular fabric thread A, so as to form'a distinct stripe.

wale; that is, the cam 58 is proportioned to move the nozzle block 46 a distance equal to .the width of a single wale. Also it should be observed that the cam 58 is arranged so that shifting of the nozzle block in either direction takes place when the cylinder needles are depressed so that the nozzles clear the described, the stitches being shown as en-' larged and stretched apart both longitudistructure more clearly. This is a ribbed fabric such as knit by the form of machine disclosed; that is, a machine having a set of cylinder needles forming the outer ribs, and a set of dial needles forming the inner ribs. The outer ribs are shown in Fig. 6 as extending from top to bottom of the fabric fragment and are formed by the stitches in- :terlooping in longitudinal sequence to provide the ribs or wales indicated at D, D and D etc. The inner ribs or wales are simply indicated at E E E etc. The transverse courses of stitches are indicated at F F F etc. From' this view it will be clear how the successive outer stitch loops d of the wale D are'carried upwardly by the need s over the adjacent transversely disposed stretches of the thread C, first when the thread-guiding nozzle is disposed at the right of the wale and then to the right thereof.

From the above description of the operation of the machine it will be seen that each of the threads 0 will be looped back and forth through the stitches ofa wale in reversely disposed loops indicated in Fig. 6 as C C these loops being formed and arranged with reference to the fabric stitches of the wale D substantially as shown. One thread C may thus 'be entwined with each of the outer wales or they may be spaced as desired to .vary the stripe pattern, or arranged in groups of two or more in adjacent wales with intervening v spaces free from the threads. U.

The general effect of a triple thread stripe, such as applied to a fabric by means of a group of three nozzles as shown, is. indicated by the diagrammatic representation of Fig. 7 showing a fragment G of fabric. In this view the reverse loops of the threads are indicated -at C and C The longitudinal wales are longitudinal lines, and the transverse courses of stitches are indicated by the spaces beportioned to shift the nozzle tween the adjacent transverse lines. 'It will is similar generally to that above setforth, and the form of knitting machine to which this form is applied is also similar to the knitting machine above described. It should v be observed, however, that the type of matherefore,

nally and transversely in order to reveal the this form designated by the spaces D between adjacent The form of the invention shown in FigfS 45 that is,

chine disclosed in Fig. 8 is ,of a larger size than the other, and is adapted, for knitting a larger size tubing. Parts of the machine disclosed in'Fig. 8 corresponding to similar parts of the previous embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, respectively, with the addition of the index a. It will, be unnecessary to describe at length construction and operation thereof will be understood by those skilled in the art. However, it will'be observed that there are eight cop supports 25, and eight fabric ,threads A leading therefrom, respectively, to a corresponding number of thread guiding plates 34 attached to the dial cam plate 33.

' In this form the bracket plate 44:, porting the nozzle supporting blocks tends entirely around the needle cylinder 17.", and it may be supported upon said needle cylinder as described above. The bracket plate 44 may be constructed in a plurality of sections or it may extend continuously around the needle cylinder. Also there are a number of the nozzle blocks 46* supported for lateral sliding movement upon the bracket plate 44. The nozzle block operating levers 51 of knitting machine as the general for supare pivoted as before to the bracket support, and.

mounted thereon are rollers 56 adapted for cooperation with and operation by the operating cam 58 which is mounted upon and rotates with the cam cylinder 18. present case the levers are held in position for cooperation with the cam 58 by a horizontal cam surface 70 positionedfor contact with the operating rollers 56*. When the rollers are in contact with the cam.surface 7 Othe respective levers are maintained in position for engagement and cooperation with the inclined part 5 of the cam 58' when it comes into operative position, and the corresponding nozzle blocks In the 16 are maintained by their springs in their right hand operative positions.

The additional or decorative threads C are shown as being distributed around the needle cylinder so-as to form a plurality pf spaced two-threadstripes. The decorative threads are supported by a plurality of spools 61 carried by the bracket bar 60 attached to the equally spaced circumferentially upon the rotary .dial cam plate 33 and secured thereto.

In the present case, however, there are eight.

of these thread-guiding plates, and therefore their angular spacing from center to center will be about 45.

In the form of machine shown in Fig. 8

there are two of the cams 58 spaced apart I 180 each extending circumferentially about i the circumferential extent of tance between ad'acent thread-guiding plates 34.' There are, t erefore, two of the horizontal cam surfaces 70 separated at both ends thereof by the cams'58. The cam surfaces 7 0 are consequently equally spaced, each being about 135 in circumferential extent, or about e ual to the angular space occupied by three 0 the sp aces between adjacent thread-guiding plates 34. The, nozzle block operating levers 56" will therefore remain lowered, and the corresponding nozzle blocks will remain in their right-hand operative position during formation of three successive stitches in each wale; that is, three courses .of stitches will be formed with the guidin nozzles positioned to guide the decorative tlireads C to the right side of the respective wales, and consequently during this period there will be no entwining 0 of the decorative thread with the fabric stitches. V Theeifect of this operation is to apply a unique decorative effect to the fabric as represented'in Fig. 11 in which a fragment G of fabric is depicted diagrammatically, as explained above in connection with Fig. 7. As shown in Fig. 11, this method of applying the threads C results in formation of the balloon stitch H, which is particularly efiective in lending a unique and-attractive apearance to the fabric. It will be clear from ig. 11 that the balloon stitches H jump or extend in continuous free stretches over three adjacent courses F of stitches. The oppositelydisposed 100 s l-of the thread C, corresponding to the oops C of Fig. 6, extend over the length of but one of the courses F, thus forming a short stitch which is inconspicuous as compared with the long bal loon' stitches H. These balloon stitches, therefore, accomplish the major part of the v decorative effect as applied to the fabric.

The ballooning, or lateral curving away from the wales, of the long stitches H is caused largel b the tension imposed constantl upon t e abric tube B by operation of theta e-up device as set forth above. Due to this tensioning the tube B is stretched lon- 4 gitudinally while the threads C are not tensioned to any considerable extent as they pass from the spools 61. There may be some tensioning of the thread C, but it is slight as comparedto the tensioning of the fabric tube .B. The result of these conditions, when the longitudinal tension upon the fabric tube is relieved, is that the fabric shrinks in longitudinal extent to a greater degree than the longitudinal shrinkage of the long decorative stitches, causing the latter to bulge laterally away from the wales to which they are attached. It will be obvious thatthe degree of ballooning of the stitches may be varied varying the tension of the decorative b tli read C. It will be clear. also that the grouping or spacing of the stripes may be varied as above mentioned to change the pat tern or form of stripe applied to the fabric. For the purpose of further var ing the decorative figure applied to the fa ric, another modification of the invention is disclosed dia rammatically in Fig. 9, depicting a nozzle block operating cam, and-in Fi 10 showin a plane develo ment thereof. This form of cam may be app ied to a t pe of knitting machine such as shown in 1g. 8, and above described. This cam 71 has a cam face 72, a cam face 73 spaced therefrom, and two cam faces 74 and 75, positioned between and separating the other two cam faces. For

facilitating disclosure, the cam is shown as the cam face 73 at an intermediate level, and

the cam faces 74 and are both at the same high level above the other cam faces. Also the cam faces 72 and 73 are substantially 135 in extent, while cam faces 74 and 75 are substantially 45 in extent. An inclined cam face 76 is interposed between the faces 72 and 74, corresponding to the inclined cam face 59 disclosed in Fig. 3, for cooperation with the lever operating rolls, while an inclined cam face 77 is interposed between faces 73 and 75 for a similar purpose.

It will now be clear in view of the disclosure given above in connection with Fig. 8, that when cam 79 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figs. 9 and 10, the cam face 72 cooperates to position the thread C in a certain position relative to the wales during the formation of three successive courses of fabric stitches. The threads C are similarly disposed in another position relatively to the wales by the cam face 74 or 75 during the formation of a sin le fabric stitch or course, and by the cam face 7 3-in still another relative position during the formation of three successive fabric courses. The different positioning of the decorative thread C with relation to the wales is due to the different levels of the cam faces of the cam 71 which cooperates to shift the nozzle blocks into different horizontal positions.

This action 0 the form of cam shown in Figs. 9 and 1 to vary the decorative pattern is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 12 depicting a fragment G of the fabric thus formed. The successive courses of stitches are indicated at F, F, etc., and the successive adjacent wales are indicated at D D etc., it being understood that the courses are represented by the spaces between ad acent 1o mation of three courses of stitches, as deparallel horizontal lines, while the wales are similarly represented by the spaces between adjacent parallel vertical lines. When the cam face 72 controls the position of the thread-guiding nozzles, the decorative thread. is positioned at the left of the wale D to form a decorative stitch K. I Since the cam face 72 is 135 in extent, or about equal to the rotative movement of the needle op crating cam of the machine during the forscribed above in connection with Fig. 8, it is obvious that the stitch K is a long stitch extending over threecourses-of the knit fabric. Furthermore, in view of the above exposition in connection with Fig. 11, it isobvious that the stitchK is of the'balloon typ'e.

Thev thread-guiding nozzles are next operated by action of the inclined cam face 76 and cam face 74, thus guiding the thread C to the left of the Wale D which is the sec- 0nd to the left of the wale D. Due to the high elevation ofthe cam face 74:, the decorative threadis shifted,-not the width of a single 'wale as described in connection with the previous embodiment, but the width of two adjacent wales. A stitch L is therefore formed of the thread C, which is looped at the left side of the wale D", the stitch L being a short stitch due to the limited extent of the cam face '74. At the next step of operation of the cam 71 the decorative thread is controlled to an intermediate position due to theaction of the intermediate cam surface 73, the effect being that a stitch is formed at the right side of wale D being a long balloon stitch caused by operation of the long cam face 73. At the next step of op-. eration the cam face 75 comes into action, resulting in the formation of a short stitch L looped at the left of wale D in longi-.

tudinal alignment with the short stitch L but positioned at the opposite end of the balloon-stitch K. It will, therefore, be seen that the decorative pattern is changed from a simple strip effect as previously described to a zigzag or grapevine ornamentation.

Figs. 9 and 10 disclose one form of cam for embodiment in a machine of the type disclosed in Fig. 8 for varying the decorative pattern imparted by application of the embroidery or decorative thread, but it will be obvious that further variations will read-- ily occur to those skilled in the art, to still further vary the decorative pattern. It will also be clear that. the invention is applicable to knitting machines other than the type herein disclosed for example, ,a machine which knits a flat fabric, as distinguished "from the ribbed fabric herein disclosed.

Since certain changes in carrying out the above process and 1n the construction set I forth, which embody-the invention may. be

.made without departing from its scope, it. is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as il-, lustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended "to cover all of the generic and specificfeatures of the invention herein descri ed, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween;

aving described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the character described, in

combination, means for knitting a textile fabric from textile thread, including a needle cylinder and a series of cylinder needles,-

thread-guiding or positioning means mounted exteriorly of said cylinder needles for movement along the series of needles for positioning one or more additional unknitted textile threads so as to 'be entwined With the A stitches as formed by said needles.

2. In a device of the character described, in combination, means for knitting a textile fabric from textile thread, including a needle cylinder and a series of cylinder needles,

thread-guiding or positioning means mounted exteriorly of said cylinder needles for movement along the series of needles for positioning one or more additional textile threads so as to be entwined with the stitches as \formed by said needles, cam mechanism for effecting such movement of said guiding and positioning means, and means for automatically varying the movement of saidguiding and, positioning means so as to cause an addi tional thread to-be entwined with different wales of the fabric in successive courses.

3. In a knitting machine, the combination with mechanism for knitting a textile fabric,

including movable knitting needles, and ,a

needle cylinder around which said needles are arranged and guided for longitudinal movement, of a thread-guide mounted out side of said cylinder and needles, a "lever-ad jacent said thread-guide and operatively connected thereto, and a rotary cam cooperating with said lever to move said thread guide in a horizontal plane on its support for guiding a thread first to one side and then to another side-of the path of movement of one of said inder, a dial, a plate extendin circumferentially about the cylinder an roviding a horizontal track, a block slida le on said track, one or more yarn guiding tubes on said block extendin adjacent the cylinder needles, a cam rotata 1e relativel to the cylinder, and connections operable by said cam for moving the block along the track. 6. In a rib knitting machine, a needle cylinder, a dial, a plate extendin circumferenti'ally about the cylinder an providing a horizontal track, a block slidable on said track, one or more yarn guiding tubes on said block extending adjacent the cylinder needles, a cam rotatable relatively to the cylinder, connections operable by said cam or moving the block along the track, including a ivoted lever bearing atone end against said block, and a spring acting on' said block 1 w to return it.

7. In a rib knitting machine, a needle cylinder, a dial, a plate extendin circumferentially about the cylinder an providing a horizontal track, a block slidable on said 5 track, one or more yarn guiding tubes on said block extending adjacent the cylinder needles, a cam rotatable relatively to the cylinder, connections operable by said cam for moving the block along the track, including so a lever pivoted on said plate, a bar pivoted on said lever and adapted to be operated by said cam, and means whereby the angular relation of said bar and said lever may be varied for changing the throw of the block.

8. In a rib knitting machine, a needle cyl-.

inder, a dial, a plate extendin circumferentially about the cylinder an roviding a horizontal track, a .block 'slida 1e on said track, one or more yarn guiding tubes on said 40 block extending adjacent the cylinder needles, a plurality of cams of different height rotatable relatively to said cylinder, and connections operable by said cams'to move the block along its track.

In testimon whereof I afiix my si nature.

ROB RT GOULD JENNI GS. 

